That sound you hear? That's me headdesking
Forgive me this entry; I know that it won't be relevant to many of you. But I really need to write this out.
Hoo boy, where to begin...?
At the beginning. Okay. Firstly, for the most part, I think they made really good casting decisions for most of the main characters, at least in terms of looks. Except for Cec not being blond (I could have wished for him to be a bit taller, too, but he had the attitude down pat, so I think I'll adjust). But as for character execution? That was far more hit and miss. Mostly miss, in fact.
Let's begin with our main. Phryne in the books is distinctive for her lack of emotional baggage. She's had bad things happen to her - one of her sisters died of diphtheria, her first love turned abusive, she's been in war (as an ambulance driver) - but she doesn't let it bother her, for the most part. That's part of what I love about her. That element of her was completely destroyed. For the sake of cheap drama, they seem to have cut one of her sisters (Eliza, who features as a major character in later books), and made the other a disappearance. That's why Phryne supposedly came back to Australia - to keep her sister's kidnapper behind bars.
Excuse me? What the fuck is this? PHRYNE CAME BACK TO AUSTRALIA AS A DETECTIVE BECAUSE SHE WAS BORED.
And her aunt. Seriously, what the hell? A character with no place in things whatsoever. If a character was needed to express the disapproval of the Melbourne elite, I'm pretty sure that this could be provided by the elite themselves, or - failing that - by Jack Robinson.
Speaking of Jack Robinson - you know, the easy-going nice police officer who likes orchids? Devoted to his wife and FRIENDS with Phryne? Well, HE'S been saddled with baggage too, is apparently estranged from his wife, and has 'sexual tension' with Phryne herself. No. No, no, no, a million times no. Phryne's friendly relationship with Jack is wonderfully refreshing in the books. If they reduce Phryne's lovers to 'she wants Jack but can't get him', I am going to be so fucking mad.
Moving on. Dot. Good casting - she's very much as I imagined her. Wish they'd preserved her original introduction, though: lying in wait to kill the son of the household who got her sacked because she wouldn't let him have his way with her. And Phryne promptly wins her loyalty by slitting up the man's trousers, thus exposing him in the middle of a crowded mall. That would have been hilarious, and also showed Dot's tougher side. This just made her seem like a drip, reliant on Phryne. I hope this changes.
Bert and Cec - I am satisfied. Minor cosmetic things, but their characters have been essentially preserved, something that I'm grateful for.
Hugh Collins - again, excellent casting. He's EXACTLY as I pictured him personality-wise (I pictured him as being a bigger man, but again, I can adjust to this).
They've apparently cut Mrs Butler (angry) and Ruth (Phryne's other adopted daughter - also angry), and made Jane street-smart. WHAT. Jane's a Genius Cloud Cuckoolander, and I'll thank you to keep her that way! And if they make her into a replacement for Phryne's missing sister (I notice that they gave the said sister the same name - Phryne's dead sister is never given a name in the books), then I am going to be so. Fucking. Pissed.
*sigh* I hate to be so hard on it. I know that book adaptations are tricky beasts. But I feel that they sacrificed the things that make the books so wonderful for the sake of easy drama, and I'm quite angry about it. I feel that they've reduced something distinctive to something generic.
Great performance by Miranda Otto as Lydia Andrews, though. That was a nice piece of work.
Basically, mood theme is perfect. GEORGIA SMASH!
In other news, I had my Syriac exam today and I think it went quite well. So that's good, at least. :)
Hoo boy, where to begin...?
At the beginning. Okay. Firstly, for the most part, I think they made really good casting decisions for most of the main characters, at least in terms of looks. Except for Cec not being blond (I could have wished for him to be a bit taller, too, but he had the attitude down pat, so I think I'll adjust). But as for character execution? That was far more hit and miss. Mostly miss, in fact.
Let's begin with our main. Phryne in the books is distinctive for her lack of emotional baggage. She's had bad things happen to her - one of her sisters died of diphtheria, her first love turned abusive, she's been in war (as an ambulance driver) - but she doesn't let it bother her, for the most part. That's part of what I love about her. That element of her was completely destroyed. For the sake of cheap drama, they seem to have cut one of her sisters (Eliza, who features as a major character in later books), and made the other a disappearance. That's why Phryne supposedly came back to Australia - to keep her sister's kidnapper behind bars.
Excuse me? What the fuck is this? PHRYNE CAME BACK TO AUSTRALIA AS A DETECTIVE BECAUSE SHE WAS BORED.
And her aunt. Seriously, what the hell? A character with no place in things whatsoever. If a character was needed to express the disapproval of the Melbourne elite, I'm pretty sure that this could be provided by the elite themselves, or - failing that - by Jack Robinson.
Speaking of Jack Robinson - you know, the easy-going nice police officer who likes orchids? Devoted to his wife and FRIENDS with Phryne? Well, HE'S been saddled with baggage too, is apparently estranged from his wife, and has 'sexual tension' with Phryne herself. No. No, no, no, a million times no. Phryne's friendly relationship with Jack is wonderfully refreshing in the books. If they reduce Phryne's lovers to 'she wants Jack but can't get him', I am going to be so fucking mad.
Moving on. Dot. Good casting - she's very much as I imagined her. Wish they'd preserved her original introduction, though: lying in wait to kill the son of the household who got her sacked because she wouldn't let him have his way with her. And Phryne promptly wins her loyalty by slitting up the man's trousers, thus exposing him in the middle of a crowded mall. That would have been hilarious, and also showed Dot's tougher side. This just made her seem like a drip, reliant on Phryne. I hope this changes.
Bert and Cec - I am satisfied. Minor cosmetic things, but their characters have been essentially preserved, something that I'm grateful for.
Hugh Collins - again, excellent casting. He's EXACTLY as I pictured him personality-wise (I pictured him as being a bigger man, but again, I can adjust to this).
They've apparently cut Mrs Butler (angry) and Ruth (Phryne's other adopted daughter - also angry), and made Jane street-smart. WHAT. Jane's a Genius Cloud Cuckoolander, and I'll thank you to keep her that way! And if they make her into a replacement for Phryne's missing sister (I notice that they gave the said sister the same name - Phryne's dead sister is never given a name in the books), then I am going to be so. Fucking. Pissed.
*sigh* I hate to be so hard on it. I know that book adaptations are tricky beasts. But I feel that they sacrificed the things that make the books so wonderful for the sake of easy drama, and I'm quite angry about it. I feel that they've reduced something distinctive to something generic.
Great performance by Miranda Otto as Lydia Andrews, though. That was a nice piece of work.
Basically, mood theme is perfect. GEORGIA SMASH!
In other news, I had my Syriac exam today and I think it went quite well. So that's good, at least. :)